English Personal Dative Constructions and Applicative Theory

Abstract

The aim of the paper is twofold: firstly, to examine the properties of an applicative construction of English called the Personal Dative Construction (PDC) in comparison with another applicative construction, the standard Double Object Construction (DOC), and then to identify the semantics of the PDC by an application of lexical decomposition. Secondly, to argue that a variant of applicative theories like that advocated by Georgala et al. (2008) and Georgala (2012) is correct, whereas highly influential one such as Pylkkänen’s high/low applicative hypothesis cannot account for the properties of the PDC properly. This paper, thus, defends the view of Georgala in that applicative phrases cannot be generated below VP and uniformly appear above VP. It also shows that arguments can be shared between predicates and multiple thematic role assignment is possible.